Reviews

Bel Canto by Ann Patchett

sharkybookshelf's review against another edition

3.0

A South American government throws a lavish birthday party for Japanese businessman Mr Hosokawa - renowned soprano Roxanne Cross has just finished singing for the illustrious guests when a band of gun-toting guerrillas take over the house and a hostage situation develops…

This one has an intriguing premise - the differences on every level between the eminent international guests and the guerrillas, the dynamics of Roxane Cross as the only female hostage, the different ways the various nationalities react to the situation - there’s a lot of potential there, but it just didn’t quite come together for me.

Patchett’s writing is very accomplished and she’s clearly an astute observer of the small details of human nature and the connections people form, but there was something missing and I can’t quite put my finger on it. The pacing didn’t help - nothing much really happens for most of the book. Sure, it reflects the monotony of the hostages’ days and the way they settle into their situation, but as a reader it’s a bit of a drag, and by the time the plot does take off near the end, it’s too much, too late. And this is coming from somebody who doesn’t mind a quiet book.

Something that ended up really bothering me was that the South American country in which this was set is unnamed and that felt like an excuse to lazily lean into generic stereotypes of how South American countries function. I’m not sure it would quite fly in a book published today.

An accomplished character study of how different people might react to a hostage situation, the way humans seek connection and the deep emotion of music, but missing some pizzazz.

lzf1234's review against another edition

medium-paced

• Plot- or character-driven? Character
• Strong character development? Yes
• Loveable characters? Yes
• Diverse cast of characters? Yes

4.5

This was so randomly such a good book. I did not expect to enjoy it nearly as much as I did 

angelabeth995's review

emotional funny hopeful reflective sad slow-paced

• Plot- or character-driven? Character
• Strong character development? Yes
• Loveable characters? Yes
• Diverse cast of characters? Yes
• Flaws of characters a main focus? Yes

5.0

amkclaes's review against another edition

lighthearted reflective medium-paced

• Plot- or character-driven? Plot
• Strong character development? Yes
• Loveable characters? It's complicated
• Diverse cast of characters? Yes
• Flaws of characters a main focus? No

3.5

i was pretty underwhelmed by this - it was very meandering and i don't need books to have a great plot but for a hostage situation and even getting into peoples interrelationships it was boring and even predictable, the author's own manic pixie dream girl-ification of the singer was also pretty unbearable
it did keep my interest and raised some interesting themes especially about translation and how much of our love and relationships can adapt to a given context, i wish it had spent more time in the aftermath as most of it was pretty boring

rheagoveas's review against another edition

emotional reflective sad slow-paced

• Plot- or character-driven? Character
• Strong character development? It's complicated
• Loveable characters? Yes
• Diverse cast of characters? Yes
• Flaws of characters a main focus? No

4.5

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Content Warnings

Moderate: Murder

katie_skean's review

This didn't age well, to be honest. I had meant to read it in 2002 so I thought I should just do it now, but what I should have done is just took the L. 

literaleen's review against another edition

slow-paced

• Plot- or character-driven? A mix
• Strong character development? No
• Loveable characters? No
• Diverse cast of characters? Yes
• Flaws of characters a main focus? No

3.25

nicolaaaaa's review against another edition

emotional reflective tense medium-paced

• Plot- or character-driven? A mix
• Strong character development? It's complicated
• Loveable characters? It's complicated
• Diverse cast of characters? Yes

3.25

skepticcurmudgeon's review against another edition

5.0

Beautiful writing. I loved and pitied each of the characters right through to the inevitable end.

book_concierge's review against another edition

4.0

This is a novel that expands on the real-life takeover of the embassy in Peru. Here it is the Vice President's home that is overrun, during a birthday celebration for Mr Hosokawa, starring soprano Roxanne Coss. The author takes us on a journey that explores how the hostages and terrorists forge unions/clicques/truces ... how they carve out territory and settle into routine ... how they ignore reality and live on dreams.

Our book club rated this as one of the best books we have read. Patchett writes literary fiction, and there is lots to discuss in her works.









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